


Amour sur le Lait

by LimpBlotter



Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Lams - Freeform, M/M, Washette - Freeform, hints of Heggy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-06
Updated: 2017-04-12
Packaged: 2018-10-15 05:41:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,324
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10551024
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LimpBlotter/pseuds/LimpBlotter
Summary: One shot, Soulmate Coffee Shop AU starring General George Washington and his favorite Frenchman, Gilbert du Lafayette. This universe soulmates have a certain scent to them, it sounds weird, consider it like a natural perfumey-cologne pheromone.





	1. A Trouvè

**Author's Note:**

  * For [AllTheNamesIWantedWereUsed](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AllTheNamesIWantedWereUsed/gifts).

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lafayette finds his soulmate and realizes what it means to fall hard and crash.

“I am so happy you found each other…” Lafayette smiled at his dearest of friends, John Laurens. The freckled man smiled dreamily as they walked along the busy, midday pavement. There was nothing like spring in the city, flowers bloomed welcoming the warm and forgotten embrace of the sun’s return. After a cold and lonesome winter, Lafayette found himself, too, longing for the warmth of spring. With spring came the natural rejoice of love, something within animals (humans included) brought out a seasonal sense of amour. Gilbert smiled at his friend, as his finger coiled around his densely packed caramel curls. John looked so...alive. It was hard to explain but now that he found his soulmate John seemed fuller. His eyes glossier, his skin brighter, his smile wider, everything about him seemed alive. “It is quite.. _.ironique_ how it happened to be so.”   
  
John nodded a bit to himself, “I guess it was meant to be…” This soulmate was a man Lafayette had befriended while Laurens was away. They spoke over the phone and emails, Lafayette told John all about their newest friend. And Laurens was wry, the idea of being replaced weighed heavily in his young heart. John returned back to the city only a day ago, and in that moment he met Alexander, the new friend, it was all settled. “He smelled liked, fresh rain and pine...he reminded me of home.” Home. That was John’s preferred smell, one that brought him back.

 Everyone was different that way. Soulmates gave off a certain natural aura of smell. A scent that was unique and only a true soulmate would find it irresistible. It was different for everyone. Before Laures and Alexander, Mulligan had found his soulmate in a young woman named Peggy. He claimed she passed him by at his local gym and he was hit with a smell that pulled him back to his days when his mother was teaching him to sow. The smell of cotton sheets hanging on a line in the summer, the smell of summer, warm and buttery...And she him. They had been together for nearly a year and well...Lafayette had seen little of Hercules now that he was spoken for. Gilbert knew this probably meant the same for his last two friends. He was just happy the feeling was mutual.

 The pair walked into a coffee shop they all frequented back when they were all single. A nice little place where a lot of busy bodies flurried in and out, grabbing cups to go. Or, if they were anything like Alexander, they were coffee chugging hermits in the corner. Lafayette turned towards John, watching his face light up with excitement when his eyes noticed Alex was just a ways away. Alexander had his charm, not Gilbert’s type precisely. Alexander was a man who did little with his appearance, he was constantly disheveled. His hair was a mess. It didn’t matter if he let it loose or pulled it into a bun, it was always coming apart, fraying at the end, hair spilling all over his face. Alexander was the definition of unruly. Not to mention the man loved his work more than the air he left though…   
  
“Jackie.” Alex paused his work completely, something he never did before meeting John. He closed his laptop and opened his arms, letting John nestle into him. They embraced briefly but looked into each other’s eyes as if it was the first time all over again. “Hey, Laf” Alexander greeted Lafayette all the while keeping his eyes on John.

John turned to Gilbert and smiled sheepishly breaking his eye contact first. “Let’s grab a cup.” He suggested with a smile.   
  
“Actually” Alex held out a cup, “I got your order, French Vanilla hot Chocolate.” The cup had Jackie writing on it, a heart drawn over the eye in place of a dot. When John turned the cup a bit he noticed there was a turtle drawn on his cup. John blushed, his sun kissed cheeks warmed up  and he was speechless. Alex looked mighty proud and Lafayette rolled his eyes.

 “You two are adorable…” He chuckled, “I’ll get mine and we can head out.”

 Gilbert watched and waited, however his friends didn’t seem to listen. They were lost in each other’s presence. He turned away from them and walked towards the forming line at the counter. His smile faded into a small frown. Envy was a funny little thing. He didn’t think his life was missing something particularly. Of course having a companion would be nice but he had friends, good and dear friends...Now faced with them finding their missing half he couldn’t help but observe as the odd man out. How sweet life seemed when they were with their soulmate. How before they were fine but now there was a change in their entire lives, a point of unconditional love and admiration. What was wrong with him? He had dated before and left without thinking twice of most of them. Nothing seemed to measure to the way Mulligan doted on Peggy or the way Hamilton looked at John.

 The line moved slowly much to Lafayette’s content and the discontent to most of the people trying to get their orders in. Gilbert took this time to breathe clearly. Think clearly. There was nothing wrong with him, so he didn’t have a soulmate. What was the rush? Some people died without knowing… Could a heartbreak by the ghost of someone who didn’t exist yet? His absent soulmate was breaking his heart...how cruel wherever they were.

 “Your order sir?” The barista tilted her head. Lafayette met her eyes and smiled, she was beautiful. Hopelessly trying to fill the emptiness he created by his own hopeless romantic of a mind he smiled at her and spoke with charm.   
  
“What does the beautiful lady recommend?” He gave her a toothy grin, flashing his impeccably perfect teeth. While she stumbled over her words, recommending a warm French latte. No doubt to pay homage to Lafayette’s accent. He could see himself falling in love with someone like her, a young lady, meeting her at a coffee shop and yet...what was the point if he felt nothing like John and Alex, or Mulligan and Margarita. Once his order was taken he was less charming, realizing how fruitless his advances would be. He stood towards the end of the barista bar at the pick up table. Lafayette turned his head, looking out the large window wondering...waiting...resigning.

 

Then it hit him.

 

God did it hit him.

 

Like a backhand out of the blue. It hit him.

 

The scent wafted and invaded him hard. Ruthlessly it clawed to his innermost thoughts, it was a smell that surprisingly didn’t bring him back to France. It didn’t pull a sweetened memory. It was...heavy. Musky like wet wood after a powerful rainfall. It was bittered like aged wine that hung on every sense and soaked until minds melted. It strong like smoke coming out of a red brick chimney, heavy and warm ashened smells drifting up into a winter wind. It was a powerful and invasive smell that gripped and held Lafayette in the moment. It felt...powerful but not off putting, there was a strong sense of comfort. An air of protectiveness wrapped around his senses. He drew a breath in feeling his chest tighten as his lungs got their full of this perfume off the person he already adored more than his own life. More than his friends, he had to meet them. He turned his head and was met with a person who embodied the smell perfectly.

 A human personification of what Lafayette described was the scent that drew him in. Lafayette flushed, his eyes already seeing hearts as he took in every inch of his soulmate. Gilbert started from the top, his bald, cueball head, those fuzzy brows that gave him such character. His strong set jaw as if he was clenching intensity back, deep and hard set eyes. He had the height and frame of a man who couldn’t just protect but envelope. Gilbert’s face was lit up, a blush warmed every inch of him as he danced the line of complete awed admiration and tantalizing temptation.

  _Cet homme est á moi_

 The man felt intrusive eyes on him and slowly turned his face only a fraction towards Lafayette. The youthful Frenchman waited with eyes eager for an answer. He waited for the same visible reaction, he waited for those eyes to return the same hopeless love that made itself at home in Lafayette’s milk brown eyes. Instead he was given a nod, acknowledging his gaze was met. “Thank you.” The man’s robust voice sent a noticeable tremor down Gilbert’s body. This was the voice of his beloved, his one and only. Lafayette was ready to introduce himself when a smirk caught him off guard. The man bowed his head and mumbled in his deep voice, “good day.” Just like that, he paid for his drink and left.

Gilbert walked over to the window and pressed his cheek against the cool, smooth surface. His eyes watching the man’s wide retreating figure. Even his damned strides were attractive. Strong and purposeful as if wherever he went was meaningful. A stroll beside him would have been… “MERDE.” He hissed, pressing his forehead against the glass slowly sinking to his knees.   
  
“Sir, your….latte…” The barista worriedly placed the drink on the table and waited for Lafayette to compose himself.

 Gilbert felt a near life ending pain fill his being. He ...just let him walk out of his life. Just like that, he was here, he was right here. In all his glory and Gilbert couldn’t use an ounce of the charm he used on the stranger barista to use on his own soulmate? And what of that reaction? Hardly any… Slowly Gil got to his feet and took the coffee. He nearly dragged his seemingly lifeless body back to the table where he was met with the bittersweet eyes of his friends. They were in the midst of a heart racing discussion when they noticed their third wheel of a friend looked like he had lost all will to go on. “Lafayette, what happened?!” Hamilton was the loudest, he took the Frenchman’s face in his hand and lifted his head up to look at him. To the couple’s fearful surprise his puppy like eyes were coated in a layer of tears.

 “Je I’ai trouvè” He whimpered, tears brimming over the sides of his eyes. They rolled down his face, catching at his finely maintained facial hair. “J-Jai t-trouvè celui” His voice cracked and stumbled twice as he cried in his native tongue. A comfort for him to use French when he did not want to immediately share his thoughts. He was fluent in English but he found English was a lot easier to edit his thoughts where his native tongue was his home, no edits, no need to pull back…

 Alexander looked at John and shrugged. “My French is very basic…” He muttered to his boyfriend as he held up Lafayette’s face for him. He could feel the weight of Laf’s face, if he were to let him go, he would have hung his head and probably slam it against the table.

 Lauren’s lovingly ran his fingers against the wet, high points of Lafayette’s devastated face and muttered in a soft, comforting tone that made Alex melt. (Though it was far from the time for that) “Laf, English please.”

“I-I found him!” He sniffled through heavy tears.   
  
The boys looked at each other then back at Lafayette still colored in every shade of confusion.   
  
“I found him. HIM” His heart broke and shattered all over his soul. “I found my soulmate.” He sobbed, Alex took his hand back letting Laf lower his head to his folded arms, resting on the table. “Trouvè et….perdu…”


	2. Mauvaises Mains

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lafayette is not the type to give in, but his soul mate seems to be in the wrong hands.

**[Jackie: How has our boy been holding up?**

  **Hammie: Babe, he’s driving me insane….**

**Jackie: ...I know, I know but can you blame him?**

**Hammie: Yes, yes I can. Lafayette is quick witted, he’s charming, why did he let his soulmate get away?**

**Jackie: It's not that easy, ya’ know. Has he made any progress?**

  **Hammie: By progress you mean forcing me to wake up at 7am just to drop him off at the coffeeshop for the past few days so he could wait around from open to close?**

  **Jackie: LOL you say that like you’re not already awake at that time.**

  **Hammie: I might be awake but I am no way in the mood to taxi him around...I just want him to find his soulmate so he can stop sobbing at night.**

 **Jackie: You are TOO kind babe, simply.**  
  
**Hammie: Gotta go, it's 6:59, the man is like clock work. ]**

 

 

Alex closed his laptop and moved his blankets aside. He was already dressed with socks on. For the past few days he had been staying at Lafayette’s house. John and himself were worried about Lafayette’s state of mind. He cried nearly every night and went through a mix of mindless wailing and angry, violent sounding French. It was for the best someone watch him, and Alex was elected that someone. By the time he was slipping on his shoes, Lafayette was dressed, well he might add. “I’m ready.”    
  
“Good.” Lafayette turned on his heel and went out the door. Once they mounted the car, he could feel Alex’s eyes on him. “Aren’t your eyes better suited for the road…” 

 

“Gil what is going to happen if you can’t find this guy? You can’t keep going to the coffee shop and hope he returns…” Alex wanted to reason with him...Alex wanted to prepare him for the possibility, that it wasn’t meant to be. He could see Gilbert’s eyes glisten. “Surely you know that you can’t---”    
  
“Waste my life waiting for someone I may never meet again?” He answered with a bitterness that made Alex’s throat clench up. “... I know…but I have to try…” He placed his hand on his chest. It was like someone had dropped ice inside of him, he felt nothing but cold against his ribs. Lafayette stayed silent until Alexander parked in front of the sleepy cafe that was slowly opening up for the day.    
  
“...I’ll pick you up at 8” Alex frowned watching Lafayette get out of his car. He rolled down the window and leaned over. “Laf” He called out making him stop in midstep. Lafayette turned his head back to the car as Alex gave him a worried and clearly forced smile. “...Good luck…” 

 

Gilbert nodded, he gave Alex a small thumbs up and watched as he leaned away. Eventually Alex drove off and Lafayette wandered into the cafe early for the 8th time since he met his soulmate. He sat at a table by the window. After buying himself something so he didn’t seem like he was loitering, he sat there, watching the people stroll by. He might have only seen his soulmate once but he knew his face. He would never forget that face. 

 

He spun the spoon around in his drink, he watched as the frothy white cloud of steam milk started to melt into his dark coffee. It brought him a moment of hypnotic peace. How long would he keep this up for? Before this man intruded his life he came to this cafe only once a week. He spent his days with friends, jogging with his dog. He had a life, a career, things were good in his studio apartment. Now none of that mattered. It was like he hadn’t lived until now.    
  
It was like…   
  
His entire life, all the happiness and contentment was a glass ceiling. It was a cap of what he thought his life would ever aspire to be. That didn’t mean he enjoyed them less...but once that man came into his life. Once he invaded his senses and that glass over his head shattered, he realized he was living limited. Now, Lafayette was looking up. Now, he realized there was so much more feeling to happiness that wasn’t just loving his friends, his life, his dog...there was a love that was limitless. And it was gone. Perhaps it was best this way? People didn’t always end up with their soulmates. It was tragic but that was life.    
  
Lafayette closed his eyes and began to wonder how long could he torture himself like this. How could could he hold out hope? How many times could he stand to sit here all day and be crushed when closing came? “George, I’m serious, you need to rethink your relationships here...” A voice cut through the quiet mid-morning cafe atmosphere and more importantly cut through Lafayette’s re-evaluation of his life choices. He looked up at the source of the noise and saw a flurry of unruly curls. Relatable.    
  
He often woke up with air like that before spending hours to regulate it. Once the head of hair moved aside he felt the breath in his lungs freeze. He placed a hand on his mouth and noticed the other man. The bald one, strong jaw, of course it was him. Once the cafe door closed, that familiar strong smell filled the small space and sent Lafayette’s head spinning. He was here.    
  
With...someone else? 

 

There was an unbridled jealousy that builded inside of him. Who was that man beside HIS soulmate. They came in together, grabbing a cup of coffee together. Lafayette could see his competition was chatting up his soulmate, babbling as they ordered their coffee. So perhaps this was the problem, his soulmate was a taken man. Lafayette watched with seething envy as someone spoke so casually to his estranged soulmate. Well, of course, he hadn’t uttered a word to him but he had every intention to. He was going to stroll up there and declare him to be his soulmate and… 

 

And what? What if he really liked the person he was with. What if Lafayette was not his soulmate. To be honest, the first time they met...he didn’t seem to have a visible reaction. Lafayette felt an emptiness sweep over him. His eyes fell downward to his coffee cup. There a pain with no name, a pain too strong. It made the all his waiting around and searching fell like nothing. A pain that made the anxiousness of not knowing more desirable than this…    
  
Regret.    
  
“George? What are you looking at let’s go…” Lafayette’s head snapped up. If he had been a split second too late he would have missed his face. The man, his soulmate, was staring right at him for that brief moment. Their eyes met, and Lafayette felt all the reason to want him bubble back up again. The regret and the pain dwindled in the resolve. That look in those deep, calm eyes that seemed so shallow. Like a wall was set up behind them. The second was gone and George quickly ran out the door and followed Thomas into a car.    
  
That look in his eyes...Lafayette had more than a million reasons to let his hopeless soulmate go. Clearly he had no intentions of meeting Lafayette again, Laf had spent days trying to meet him again and here he was, turned up with another man. It seemed more and more like this “George” wasn’t interested. And yet… 

 

Gilbert got up from the table and sprinted out of the cafe as the car peeled out of it's parking spot. He watched the car take off downtown to the business district and without thinking he started to run.    
  
The car moved through traffic, as if luck was against him, every street light so far was green and cars began to line up behind. Laf found it harder and harder to keep his eyes on the car while weaving through the slowly condensing city sidewalk. With his height being the only advantage he was given he could see the top of the red car his soulmate and the man he was with were in, take a turn down an avenue. Quick on his feet Lafayette decided to cut through the street and bolted down a small street. If he could run fast enough he could cut off the car...so he thought.    
  
After running what felt like forever he realized...he was mildly lost. He walked slowly, reading street signs to try and get his bearings where he was. No idea where he was and no sign of the car, Lafayette felt the crippling sting of a second failure break through im. He leaned against a nearby office building and internally belittled himself. How could he be so stupid? Did he actually think this would work?

 

“Traffic was a pain in the ass…” Lafayette closed his eyes, the prattle came right after the sound of someone slamming a door. “Next time, George, you’re driving the carpool.”    
  
Wait that voice was ...the one from the cafe. Lafayette turned his head and watched as the curly haired man walked up the steps to the office building, following behind him was the towering man who Lafayette knew to be his soulmate.    
  
“If you took my instructions and went down Main Street we wouldn’t have hit the traffic.” George’s low voice sent shivers down Gilbert’s spine. This was his chance. He came all this way and there wasn’t anything else to lose. He at least needed to know. 

 

“Pardon”    
  
George and Thomas turned their heads, at the bottom of the stairs Lafayette stood there. He was disheveled much to his disappointment. He had spent the morning trying to look nice for a lasting impression but his curls barely hung onto his bun. A few stray ones flopped against his face adding to the look of desperation he sported. “We’ve never met before.” He began and was immediately met with a wry look from his soulmate. His resolve was shrinking, he had to get the words out fast before he gave into the nerves. Gil took another confident step, inhaling slowly, even from where he stood he smelled him. That strong scent that filled him with a sense of comfort, a strength that flooded over him. “But I have to talk to you.” Lafayette’s eyes were wide. Worry lined his eye heavier than the thick band of lashes he sported. 

 

Thomas arched his eyebrow in disgust. Mainly because he thought Lafayette was creepy for having chased George down. He was ready to call the security of the building when George broke is silence.    
  
He started with a reluctant sigh, not what Laf wanted to hear exactly. “...My lunch break is at 1.” He spoke sternly. “I go back to work at 1:30.” George turned his head and started walking up the stairs slowly.    
  
“Mr. Washington are you sure you want to--” Thomas continued to speak after him, entering the building right behind George. Just like that, George was gone.    
  
Lafayette met his soulmate yet… it felt sicker than when he thought he lost him again. This was not how he expected it to be. He slowly lowered himself on the step and ran a hand through his hair. This was not like him, frazzled, desperate. He was calm and collected, fun loving among his friends. Confident in what he could do and who he was. Suddenly the only thing he was was sick to his stomach with worry and doubt. This was not how he expected things to go after the first time they met. 

 

Was he putting too much on this chance? Was he so desperate to join the romantic ranks of his friends who had fallen head over heels with their soulmates...friends whose soulmates accepted them. Even if George didn’t feel inkling towards him...Gilbert still felt like...George was more than just unmoved by emotion. It was like...there was a silent resent me? A stalling feeling as if Lafayette wasn’t just another face to him.    
  
Lafayette didn’t move from the steps. He sat down and fixed his hair a bit. He waited for the hours to trickle by. Every second the passed Gilbert was slowly talking himself out of it. The chances George felt something back were slim. He was beyond indifferent towards Laf. He seemed like he wanted nothing to do with him. What if he had a soulmate already? Was this one of those tragic one sided romances? Was George looking for a way to let Lafayette go without starting a scene? His hands held the edge of the step he was sitting on, keeping himself still. Everything in him was stilling him to run, call Alexander to pick him up and forget him.    
  
“You’re here…” George’s voice was tense. Laf looked behind him, at the top of the stairs Washington stood there towering even more than normally. Carefully he started down the stairs and muttered, “lets go…”    
  
Just was Gilbert was convincing himself to forget, the smell hit him, the safety and strength, not to mention George was equally as handsome to look at. Lafayette couldn’t have conjured a better face to fit the sweet scent of his soulmate. Helplessly, Lafayette rose to his feet and followed. George walked a few steps ahead of him in silence. Slowly the streets started becoming more and more familiar. Gilbert now realized George was leading him back to the cafe, away from his office building. Of course, leave him where he found him. Laf knew he had to take off before his man shattered his prospects. He had to fight through the drunken haze of his emotion inducing pheromones and take a stand. 

He squared his shoulders just as Washington turned his head and for the first time his strong voice cracked a bit. “So...you’re my soulmate.” 

  
Lafayette’s mouth slumped open slightly. 


	3. Bisou à la vapeur

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A heart to heart, between strangers over cups of coffee.

Lafayette robotically sat down at the table George picked out. The older, larger man took a deep breath. He steadied his firm voice and spoke again,thinking naturally that Lafayette’s silence meant he hadn’t heard him. “You...are my soulmate.” He confirmed it, there it was. Music to Gilbert’s ears...at least it should have been. Instead he was confused...almost angry that yes, in fact, George was his soulmate and apparently he was George’s so why? Why be so cruel to him? Why not come after him? 

He was at a loss for words.    
  
George watched as his soulmate furrowed his brows. This was the first time he was looking at his soulmate Gilbert. He didn’t even know his name, other than what he smelled like, what he reminded him of. He took in his expression and he was a beautiful man. A beautiful, curly haired man, soft eyebrows, long lashes, full and soft features. All knitted down into a heated stare, it was a beautiful anger that made George scoff. Of course he was mad, George deserved that much, that didn’t stop him from thinking it was still adorable of him. “Why are you upset? Am I not what you expected” he teased flatly.

 

“I expected you to say something.” Laf lashed out a bit. “I came here everyday from opening to close for eight days...and you come back and look at me and walk right out again, why?” Gil’s lip was hard set. George didn’t answer so he probed some more, he wanted to know, he needed to know. “Am I not what you expected?”    
  
“Honestly, I didn't expect to find a soulmate…” George looked away, he looked...guilty. The guilt was enough, George must have been in love with someone else. Someone who wasn’t Laf, he probably was disappointed that Gilbert was his soulmate. 

 

Laf felt his nose scrunch up as he suppressed the urge to sniffle. “...I need to use the bathroom.” He needed a moment to process. Slowly he rose to his feet and made his way to the bathroom. He needed to be away from the mind melting perfume. With a jerking hand he opened the cold water and splashed his face over the sink. What was George thinking? They barely knew each other and already it seemed like George had his qualms with their situation. Perhaps...Lafayette shouldn’t have gone looking for him. He tried to force fate. Now he was met with the cold reality. 

 

At least… “...I got to know him…” He whispered softly, wiping his face down with a paper towel. He returned to the table and found George was sitting there with two coffee cups. He eyed the cups and sat down slowly. “You got me coffee?”    
  
“...I owe you an explanation.” 

 

“Oui.” Lafayette agreed curtly, not taking the cup as George slid it towards him. Gilbert would not force the matter anymore.    
  
“I...never expected to meet you.” George began very calmly, his low and rumbling voice only enhanced the sensations Laf got from the natural aroma that attracted him so. “I was taken back when I first ...saw you...met you but…”    
  
The French boy slowly gnawed at his lower lip nervously. Listening to George’s explanation, Laf concluded his own ending. “There is someone else…” He watched as George lowered his gaze. The guilt was eating at him. Laf felt his heart crush right then and there he wanted to hit something, throw something but all he had was a hot cup of coffee...and that might have been too far.    
  
“Well…” He slowly started speaking again, his voice soft, “ there was.” He muttered. “My girlfriend, I was her soulmate. She loved me more than I could ever, so I spent my entire life making up for the fact she wasn’t...I had been careful to never meet you. Even after we split apart.”    
  
Gil’s anger ebbed away, the story was not as straight forward as he had believed. Slowly he took the coffee cup and slid it toward him. He held it and nodded towards Washington. He was listening now, he really listening. 

 

“I left Martha...it became too much. The worry I would eventually meet you and have to hurt her...I wanted to end it...that was a few years ago. I didn’t know you were out there, I ended a good relationship for you without knowing you existed I felt foolish. I was upset...at you, unfairly so.” Washington spoke with deep maturity. Lafayette felt bad for him. He threw away a love for Lafayette and of course he was upset when they hadn’t met. OF course that wasn’t Lafayette’s fault he didn’t even think George existed...it never crossed his mind. But George? The idea Laf was out there ate away at him until it ate through his relationship and left him… “I admit I was really upset when I found you. I had been alone for a while, finding it increasingly difficult for form relationships when all I could think of is when I’d meet you...in a way a placed a lot of my blame on you…”    
  
“I’m sorry.” Gil could only offer so much. It wasn’t like he meant for all that to happen. 

 

“No...don’t.” He smiled a bit, “ I was young and blind, I thought finding you would come as easy as it was for Martha to find me. No matter where I looked you weren’t there. Then after a while of not looking, you ...well, here you are.”    
  
“Oui, here I am.” Laf turned the coffee cup a little and found there was a heart drawn on very carefully by the label of the cafe. Gilbert’s thumb slowly traced the small heart. There was no more anger left in him, the moment George started to talk he melted. George didn’t even need to mean what he said, Gilbert was sure he would have melted. “So that man you were here with earlier isn’t…”    
  
George’s lips twitched, fighting back a smirk “my employee, one of my better ones. “ He insisted, Laf nodded slowly. “And not my type, Jefferson is a little...high strung.”    
  
“What is your type?” Lafayette wasn’t sure where this all stood, where they were. When he first found George he was hopelessly in love with the stranger. Then in the course of finding him again...he wasn’t sure if that still remained. Still the aroma was inviting, his heart raced and George...well, he was all Lafayette seemed to think about anymore. He wanted to at least know, if it was going to fail then he wanted to see it fail for himself. Closure.    
  
“I’m ...trying to find my calm in life…” He sighed, suddenly his hard set eyes had softened enough for Gilbert to see how ...tired those dark  eyes looked. “I’ve been working for almost … “ He didn’t want to disclose his age given now fresh and cool Lafayette looked. Now that he had time to really look at his soulmate, Lafayette was handsome and suited the scent he gave off perfectly. “Too long, working hard and nonstop, I knew you were my soulmate the moment I stood next to you. I felt...calm.”    
  
Lafayette smelled like lavender mostly, soft, floral, sleepy scenes. Lavender with hints of mint, refreshing and relaxing. He remembered standing next to Laf and finding the urge to hug him, put all his weight on him and lean into the man. It was the kind of aroma he could find himself sleeping beside and sleeping soundly. He wouldn’t mind waking up to Gil’s face every morning, either. 

 

The feeling was silently mutual. 

 

“I see…” Lafayette kept his eyes down. So here they were, two strange soulmates. In a matter of two meetings Lafayette managed to love him deeply, hate him and ...now somewhere in the middle he wanted to stay. He nervously drew circles on the tabletop with his finger tip when George’s hand slowly blanketed over Gil’s.    
  
He felt it again.    
  
Like the first time, all over again. 

 

His chest swelled, the moment their skins touched. George’s hand was large and rough, it had little give to it. It was a hand that only knew two things, hard work and intensity. Yet here it was, enveloping over Lafayette’s slender, smoother hand. “I’m sorry I’m not very good at this.” He went silent. 

 

“Nor am I, what I know is that the moment I met you … I knew that I wanted to know you. I wouldn’t have chased you down other wise…” Lafayette turned his hand from under George’s, lacing his fingers with his. “I do not plan on letting you go, Monsieur Washington” Gil spoke firmly, taking George back. “You were cruel....you have much to make up for.”    
  
“I am truly apologetic, I hope you view my rudeness as a small blip.” He chuckled, “I would like to get to know you…”    
  
“ Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier de LaFayette” He smirked watching George’s face go a little dull at the length of his soulmate’s name. “Lafayette or Gilbert is fine.”   
  
“I like Marie.” He chuckled, the sound of his first name and the laugh sent a shiver through Laf. “Lafayette might be more appropriate for the public” George glanced at his watch and nodded, “I have to return to work soon.”    
  
Suddenly Laf’s eyes went wide with worry, he was leaving?    
  
“Will you give me your number? So I can reach you again.” 

 

Lafayette happily exchanged numbers and took advantage of their time together while George had to prepare himself to detach from Lafayette’s company and go back to work. “So what drink did you get?” Laf was surprised George got him coffee and it wasn’t half bad. Not his usual but nothing he wouldn’t drink.    
  
George took a sip of his drink then offered it to Laf. He took the cup and looked down at the opening, where George’s lips had touched. He felt a his face glow with heat. The idea of his lips touching where his lips had been. He glanced up and found Washington was watching him intently, eyes dark and eyeing Laf’s lips as they slowly touched the cup. He took a sip and was met with bitter, dark coffee. Strong and barely sweetened. Though, George’s aroma clung to the cup, the bitterness mixed with the woodsy smell of George seemed fitting. “Bitter?” George managed to ask once he tore his eyes off of Laf’s full lips.    
  
“A tad, you can use some sugar.”    
  
“That I can” his southern twang came out for a second, adding to the charmed smile that graced his lips. “Maybe I can pick up some sugar after work…” He sighed realizing if he didn’t start leaving now he would never. Washington stood up and Lafayette followed, taking his coffee with him. They both walked outside and stood in front of the cafe readying themselves for goodbyes.    
  
“Call me...or message me…” Laf insisted, George nodded in agreement. 

 

Goodbye felt so wrong to Gil now that he was here. His eyes shot up when he felt a strong arm slither around his waist. With one arm around Laf and the other holding his coffee, George took care to pull Laf in gently. He didn’t say a word, he inhaled deeply and closed his eyes. Naturally he leaned into Laf, his aroma invaded Laf’s nostrils and his mind was floating. He felt the coffee slip out of his hands and his arms flung around George’s neck meeting his lips with a calm passion. He did not move feverishly. No he took his time, melting their lips together. That strong smell, those strong arms, that strong kiss it made Laf weak. He felt surrounded by a protective strength. A deep and robust love that was warm and all consuming like George’s soulmate smell. They kissed until their lungs were empty of air, the other’s perfume hung on their skin.    
  
“I’ll call you after work, Marie.” 


End file.
